One Of The Most Heartbreaking Love Letters I Have Ever Read

Back in May, my cousin efelle wrote this comment about Kavalier and Clay during the "What The Nation Should Read Next" poll:

"PS - The book has one of the most heartbreaking love letters I have ever read."

And when I finally got to that part, I had to admit that it was, it certainly was. Here it is now in all its agonizing glory. Don't read it though if you have not read the book yet and intend to:


Dear Joe,

I wish that we could at least have said goodbye to each other before you left New York. I think I understand why you ran away. I am sure that you must blame me for what happened. If I had not sent you to Hermann Hoffman, then your brother would not have been on that ship. I don't know what would have become of him in that case. And neither do you. But I accept and understand that you might hold me responsible. I supposed that I might have run away, too.

I know that you still love me. It's an article of faith for me that you do and that you always will. And it breaks my heart to think that we might never see or touch each other ever again. But what is even more painful to me is the thought - the certainty I have - that right now you are wishing that you and I had never met. If that is true, and I know it is, then I wish the same thing. Because knowing that you could feel that way about me makes all that we had seem like nothing at all. It was all wasted time. That is something I will never accept, even if it's true.

I don't know what is going to happen to you, to me, to the country or to the world. And I don't expect you to answer this letter, because I can feel the door to you slamming in my face and I know that it's you slamming it shut. But I love you, Joe, with or without your consent. So that is how I plan to write to you - with or without your consent. If you don't want to hear from me, just throw away this letter and all the letters that follow it. For all I know these words themselves are lying at the bottom of the sea.

I have to go now. I love you.


Rosa